{"id":1415,"date":"2012-01-16T14:27:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-16T14:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nauva.dyndns.org\/ir\/?page_id=1415"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:18:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:18:50","slug":"phd-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/?page_id=1415","title":{"rendered":"Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Ph.D. program at the Department of Psychology is designed to build a strong, interdisciplinary background in theory and research in the psychological sciences. The program focuses on cognitive, social, developmental, and neuroscience areas. Students may enter the Ph.D. program with or without a Master\u2019s degree. Graduate students are expected to participate in research activities upon entering the program. To support psychological research, the university has developed a strong infrastructure, including state-of-the-art research laboratories equipped with observation rooms for testing children and adults, testing rooms for psychophysical and behavioral experiments, meeting rooms, and graduate student offices. Additional facilities include the National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) with fMRI, EEG, psychophysics, and genetic testing facilities.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For areas of faculty research see the faculty section at <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/?page_id=14\"> Faculty Members<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Admission requirements<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Admission requirements are announced by Bilkent University Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences. For this year requirements are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 1. Proof of Degree:<\/strong>\u00a0Bachelors&#8217; or Masters&#8217; degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 2. CGPA:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Ph.D. (with undergraduate BA\/BSc):\u00a0 <\/strong>Undergraduate cumulative grade point average: Equivalent or minimum 3.00 over 4.00 or 75%.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">3. English Proficiency:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">TOEFL iBT (at least 87\/120 or 4.5\/6)<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">IELTS (at least 6.5 average and 5.5 from each section) or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Proficiency in Academic English Exam (PAE) (at least C).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you submit IELTS academic or Bilkent English Proficiency Exam results and you are applying for a PhD program, you also need to satisfy the foreign language requirement as imposed by the Inter-Universities Board (\u00dcAK) of Turkey. In that case, <a href=\"http:\/\/mfbe.bilkent.edu.tr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/esdegerlikdokuman060420211.pdf\">a minimum of 55 from YDS, e- YDS, YOKDIL, e-YOKDIL, or its equivalents as listed by the Board, in a language other than the mother tongue<\/a>\u00a0must be submitted.<br \/>\n(TOEFL ETS CODE:0620)<\/li>\n<li>TOEFL IBT \u201cComputer-based\u201d test results will be accepted (TOEFL ETS CODE: 0620) TOEFL IBT \u201cOnline test taken at home (Home Edition) and \u201cmy best test score\u201d test results will not be accepted. Citizens of Turkey must take TOEFL IBT exam at one of the test centers in public universities (Y\u00d6K requirement). IELTS Academic \u201cComputer-based and paper-based\u201d test results will be accepted. IELTS Academic \u201cOSR (One Skill Retake)\u201d test results will not be accepted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>*Validity period for all exams: 2 years<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">4. Standardized graduate examinations:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 \u00a0a) GRE for international students:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ph.D (with a Masters degree with thesis): Minimum 298 points <em>(total of verbal (149) and quantitative (149) exam scores).<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ph.D (with an undergraduate degree with thesis): Minimum 312 points <em>(total of verbal (156) and quantitative (156) exam scores).<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 \u00a0b) ALES for Turkish citizens:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ph.D: (with a Masters degree with thesis): Minimum 55 (equally-weighted)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ph.D: (with an undergraduate degree): Minimum 80 (equally-weighted)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>ALES<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0is required from resident Turkish citizens who are applying for the graduate programs. Those applicants who are not Turkish citizens, and Turkish citizens who have completed their undergrad degrees without enrolling in a Turkish University may provide\u00a0<strong>GRE General Test<\/strong>\u00a0scores instead of ALES. All other applicants must provide ALES to apply the graduate school.<\/em> (GRE ETS CODE:0620)<\/p>\n<p>The ALES examination is set to be administered on May 10 this year, with results expected to be released by June 5. Please make sure that you take the exam and submit your official \u00d6SYM score report to the PSYC department&#8217;s application email address at (<a href=\"mailto:psyc@bilkent.edu.tr\" rel=\"noreferrer\">psyc@bilkent.edu.tr<\/a>) by June 6.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">ALES and GRE scores are valid for 5 years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 5. Transcript(s):<\/strong> All that are available (Undergraduate and\/or Masters\u2019 transcripts).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong> 6. Statement of purpose:<\/strong> A letter describing past research experience or any other relevant experience, academic achievements, research interests, faculty members you are interested in working with, and motivations for applying for the program (Word limit: 600 to 800 words, double-spaced).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>7. Letters of Recommendation:<\/strong> Three reference letters (completed online by the referees) to support your application.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>8. Curriculum Vitae (will be uploaded to the application portal)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>9. Writing Sample (Optional):<\/strong> A sample essay in English (e.g., senior thesis project, term paper, etc.).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Application Deadline: 15 May 2026<br \/>\nDate of Interviews: 10-11 June 2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Based on application documents, the graduate admission committee will announce the applicants who are invited for interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Interview invitations can be communicated on short notice; therefore, candidates are advised to plan accordingly to ensure their availability.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Application:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #006ac6;\"><a style=\"color: #006ac6;\" href=\"https:\/\/stars.bilkent.edu.tr\/gradapp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ph.D Program Applications<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stars.bilkent.edu.tr\/homepage\/curriculum.php?DEPT=PSYC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #006ac6;\">For our Ph.D. curriculum please click here.<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Contact:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h5><strong>Assoc. Prof. Hande Ilgaz<br \/>\n<\/strong>email: hande.ilgaz@bilkent.edu.tr<br \/>\nphone:\u00a0+90 312 290 20 65<\/h5>\n<h5><strong>Asst. Prof. Se\u00e7il G\u00f6n\u00fclta\u015f<br \/>\n<\/strong>email: secil.gonultas@bilkent.edu.tr<br \/>\nphone:\u00a0+90 312 290 27 60<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program The Ph.D. program at the Department of Psychology is designed to build a strong, interdisciplinary background in theory and research in the psychological sciences. The program focuses on cognitive, social, developmental, and neuroscience areas. Students may enter the Ph.D. program with or without a Master\u2019s degree. Graduate students are expected [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":6090,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"languages":[18],"post_translationss":[],"class_list":["post-1415","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"guten_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"guten_post_layout_landscape_large":false,"guten_post_layout_portrait_large":false,"guten_post_layout_square_large":false,"guten_post_layout_landscape":false,"guten_post_layout_portrait":false,"guten_post_layout_square":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1415"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7857,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1415\/revisions\/7857"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Flanguages&post=1415"},{"taxonomy":"post_translations","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/psy.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_translationss&post=1415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}